February 18, 2011

I just completed a big batch of silver jewelry pieces, mostly horses, and some of my ocean wave design (different sizes, with and without the funky sun), and the first plumeria flower. And I'm feeling pretty good about it! See, I have no trouble starting things, but sometimes have trouble finishing them. With the silver metal clay, I can get bogged down in the last steps before firing, as I do a lot of refining and sanding (since I'm particular like that). I know I'm not alone in this phenomenon, because I once heard that most DIY home improvement projects are abandoned when they're 90% done. What a shame! But I told myself I was not going to take any of them to be fired until I finished all of the pieces I started recently, and it worked! I finished the last ones this afternoon. And I can't wait to make them into finished jewelry! I seriously need to apply this way of thinking to more of my projects.

A few weekends ago I was doing some hammered wire stuff, and when I goofed on an intended design, I salvaged it by turning it into the swirl with the Turquoise (shown above). Then I got kind of excited about this, and made more. I love swirly designs, they have a happy feeling. So I now have several swirl pendants to which I added various stone bead dangles from my stash. They need their own chains, and then will be offered for sale. The Turquoise one I intended to keep for myself, but I can't decide. They are, from left to right: Kingman Turquoise, Pink Opal (great feminine quality to this group of pale pink beads), Sodalite nugget, Blue Pietersite (this photo doesn't show it, but it has wonderful blue chatoyancy, and if you flip the bead over, it has a big patch of chatoyant red!), Jade (not sure it is a true Jade), and lastly a dark forest green Ocean Jasper that has tiny sparkles of what would be druzy crystals that are just below the polished surface. Sorry, got carried away with all those great stone beads!

And just for fun, I'm sharing a photo I took of the moon back in January. I thought it turned out pretty well, except the sky had a lot of grainy "color noise", so I edited it in Photoshop. I like that you can see the craters and other shadowing. One of the better moon photos I've managed to take!

Check back soon, I will be sharing a preview of the silver pieces I recently completed. Until then, take care, and for all of us in the Northern Hemisphere, stay warm and dry!